Flow control for plunger lift devices



oct. 31, 1933. H. B. WOODS 1,932,500

FLOW CONTROL FOR PLUNGER LIFT DEVICES Filed July 25, 1932 HENJZYAWa' INVENTOR Www/Him,

ATTORN EY Patented 0.131, 1933 i l' 1,932,500v

UNITED STATES P.frluezlur orties FLOW CONTROL FORILUNGER LIFT DEVICES Henry B. Woods, Houston, Tex., assignor to Hughes VTool Company, Houston, Tex., a cori poration of Texas Application July 25, 1932. `Serial No. 624,460

Claims. (Cl. 10S- 52) My invention relates to plunger lift devices, and at 16 and closed at its upper end by a cap 17, pertains particularly to the flow line through having therein a compressible tubular shock ab- Which the fluid issues from the well. sorber 18. A vent 19 is provided at the upper I desire to control the flow of the liquid from end controlled by a valve 20.

5 the well, so as to check the rush of Vgas or air The plunger is shown at the lower end of its 60 employed in raising the load. stroke. It comprises a body member 21 having It is an object of the invention to provide a an innerv downwardly tapered passage and a choke device in the flow line and enlarge the valve 23 closing upwardly into a seat in said capacity of the line between the eduction tube passage. A support for the valve is formed at and the choke so that it may include the Whole 22 to support the valve in open position and 65 load of liquid and impede the outlet for the gas acting also as a guide for the stern of the valve or air behind the plunger and thus stop the ow which extends through the support to engage the of gas vuntil the plunger can drop .to the bottom stop 6 and close the valve. of the tube without interference from the gas.v In operation the plunger, with its load of liquid I aim to clear the tube of its load of liquid and is moved upwardly by gas accumulating in the 70 then check the escape of the gaseous pressure well. The load of liquid abovefthe plunger will fluid through the liquid in the flow line, until the be discharged through the flow line but will be plunger has had time to drop back to the bottom checked in its now by the choke valve 12. The of the eduction tube. capacity of the flow line between the casing In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a side View head and the choke valve being suiiicient to in- 75 mostly in central vertical section of a plunger clude all the load of liquid, the'plunger may pass lift device equipped with my invention. the outlet and be stopped by the fiuid-both ga Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the and liquid-in the extension 16. The valve in lower end of the well with the eduction tube the plunger will be forced open and the plunger 25, therein. -Will drop to the bottom. The ow of gas from s0 Fig. 3 is a side View partly in elevation and the well will be checked so that it will not interpartly in longitudinal section of a slightly dierfere with the dropping of the plunger. The flow ent embodiment of the invention. in the main flow line will be stopped temporarily In Figs. 1 and 2 the usual form of the plunger until the liquid has time to pass the choke valve.

lift device is seen with my improvement installed A slight flow of vgas is allowed through the by- 85 thereon. It has a Vwell casing 1 with a casing pass 13 to relieve the gas pressure in the well so head 2 thereon. The eduction tube 3 is supported that liquid may enter the lower end of the well in the casing head and depends to the uid level for the next load. Thus when the plunger in the well. A strainer plug 5 at the lower end reaches bottom there will be a load of liquid is connected to the tube by a'coupling 4, having above the seaty and the plunger will sink through 90 therein a cross shaped stop member 6. l the liquid to its seat Where the valve stem in the The upper end of the tube has a head '7 thereplunger will engage the Stop member 6 and Close on supported upon a flange 8 in the casing head the Valve ready OI the neXt Stroke.

` and forming a seal therewith. Above the head '7 By the time the plunge!1 has reached bOttOm 40 the tube is perforated at 9 to form an outlet for the liquid Will have PaSSed the Choke Valve 12 95A fluid to the interior chamber 10 within the casing and the gas in the eduCtiOn tube Will quickls7 head. From there the liquid passes by way of exhaust from the tube and hence prevent back the flow line 11 to storage. This iiow line is made pIeSSuIe 0n the plunger in raising itS neXt lead. of large capacity and the choke valve 12 is InFig. 3, I haVe SllOWn an apparatus intended placed far enough from the casing head to allow t0 be, in all respects, the Same aS the first de- 100 room in the iiow line to receive all the liquid Seribed eInbOCliment eXCept that the capacity 0f 103,(1 raised by the plunger 2,1; one Stroke This the flow line between the casing head 2 and the load is, however, prevented from ilowing past the ChOke ValVe 12 iS increased by the use 0f a Speehoke formed by the needle Valve 12 except 3,1-, a, cial chamber 25 connected into said flow line.

v very slow rate. A by-pass line 13, havingv therein ThuS, instead 0f making the yflOW line 1011, be- 105 a hand operated valve 14, is provided from the tween the casing head and ChOke, it may be made inlet end of the flow line to a point past the choke short as here shown, but the chamber 25 will convalve 12. v tain most of the liquid load so that the gas may The upper end of the eduction tube forms an be largely cut off from the flow line and its escape extension projecting above the bonnet 15 as seen slowed down to allow the plunger to fall unim- 110 soY peded by the rush of gas which would otherwise take place.

By the use of my arrangement of the apparatus, the liquid above the plunger is discharged from the eduction tube, but the flow of gas from the tube is prevented for a time suicient to allow the plunger to reach bottom. By that time the gas can exhaust rapidly.

In this way l. not only speed up the dropping of the plunger and hence the operation of the pump, but l economize in gas consumption. For, as the gas pressure in the well is not relieved materially while the plunger is falling, there will be but little gas bubbling up through the liquid at the well bottom and escaping while the plunger is falling.

What l claim as new is: y

l. A plunger lift device including a well casing, an eduction tube therein, a plunger movable from the lower end to the upper end thereof by pneumatic pressure, an outlet from said tube and casing, and a now line in said outlet, in combi# nation with a choke valve in said iiow line set to allow a continuous low of liquid therethrough, said now line being of large capacity between said outlet and said Valve to include the entire load oi liquid raised by the plunger, said choirs valve arranged to allow the slow passage of raid liquid.

2. A plunger lift device including a well casing, an eduction tube therein, a plunger movable by pneumatic pressure from the lower end to the upper end of said tube, a flow line receiving the fluid from said tubea choke valve in said flow line, and a container formed in said flow line between said eduction tube and said choke valve to contain the entire load of liquid raised by the plunger at each stroke, said choke allowing the slow discharge of said load.

3. In a plunger lift device including an educ# tion tube, a plunger movable by pneumatic pressure to raise a load of liquid from the lower end to the upper end of said tube, and a ow line from said tube below the upper end of said tube, the improvement consisting of closing the outlet of all but a small iiow oi gas from the tube by use of the load of liquid, until said plunger has dropped to the lower end of said tube and then opening said llow line to said gas.

4'. A method of raising liquid from deep wells containing a bodyo liquid and a seepage of gas thereinto consisting of interposing a plunger between the bottom of a column of liquid in the well, and a gas receiving space under said column and employing the gas pressure below said plunger to force said plunger and its load of liquid to the rupper end of said tube, discharging said load oi" liquid, maintaining said liquid at the discharge outlet until said plunger has fallen in said well and then exhausting the gas from the liquid discharge outlet.

5. A method of raising liquidfrorn deep wells containing a body of liquid and a flow of gas thereinto, consisting or interposing a plunger between the bottom of a column of liquid inthe well and a gas receiving. space under said column, and employing said gas pressure belowsaid plunger to raise said plunger and its load of liq-4 to the upper end of said tube, discharging said liquid from the outlet from said well, block@ ing the cutletci all but a small amountof lgas from well by use of said liquid until-said plunger has fallen a predetermined amount, then opening said outlet to allow free escape ofsaid gas.

HENRY B. WOODS.-

` isn 

